A method for printing unsupported external fixation braces

Abstract

This invention discloses a method for printing unsupported external fixation devices, including steps such as importing an initial device model, selecting a cutting surface to cut the model, slicing, and printing. The method involves processing the suspended structure model using a slicing algorithm and preprocessing the model before slicing. Specifically, the rotation angle of the 3D printer is selected by calculating the angle between the normal vectors of the planes containing the bottom and top surfaces. The plane normal vector is determined based on the rotation angle β. Then, the position of the dividing surface is determined using a point normal formula based on the center point of the plane obtained through interaction. The model below the dividing surface is removed, while the upper model data is retained. This allows the 3D model itself to achieve unsupported printing of the suspended structure, eliminating the need for post-processing, reducing printing time, and improving printing quality.

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